As you probably have noticed, the progress for Bound to College pretty much came to a stop. The new Job I started in February is one important reason for this. It is not the only one though. You see, I started this project just for test balloon. I have never written a single line of code before, and I was thrilled to discover how a game like this can be made using Ren’Py.
And I learned a lot in the following months. And frankly, I was overwhelmed by the feedback and support I received. Not even in my wildest dreams I would have thought of that.
So what began as just a little test render, and was intended to be just a single chapter, grew over time. Many new characters, a whole bunch of new ideas, suggestions and all kinds of support every day. So the game grew and grew. Unfortunately, it also kind of grew out of my hands.
I have so many stories still to tell for each character, while a whole bunch of them not even got a proper introduction. And this is not all. I learned about new tools and programming skills. Languages. Oh my god, so many languages and so much effort people put in the creation of these files. I could go on with this list forever. Discord and the admins, translation toos and programs, Patreons and their support, the website…
I cannot tell you how grateful I truly am. At the same time I feel like a cheater or a scammer, when I leave you for months and months without any significant progress.
So I tried my best make at least a little progress whenever I have the time; mostly being my holidays lately. Since it is impossible at this point for me, to just program or render an hour or so for this game. Simply because it became so complex, I need at least half a day to find a starting point at all. So many loose ends, so many variables and code, part of which I did not even write myself (and therefore have trouble to even understand).
And while I have dozens of stories to tell, Bound to College currently lags the main plot. Since I did not have a general plot in mind when I started this project, I am kind of lost in all the branches and side-stories.
Long story short:
I do not want to abandon Bound to College, but I need to take a break from it!
This is the bad news.
The good news is:
I learned so much by doing this, I really want to do a “proper” game. A game, where I try to avoid many mistakes I did do in the first place that makes it so difficult to continue in the long run, such as:
– A main story line It seems to be obvious, but this indeed is the most important aspect of it all, I think. This time, I intend to create the main storyline primarily, and only add further branches once this part is done, unless they are important for the main storyline.
– A clean(er) code I know already what main functionalities I need for this game, and though I probably add stuff, it makes a big difference to have the critical elements already integrated, before even beginning with the plot
– German as a primary language You have no idea, how often I intended to say something, but did not find the right expression in English. How many hours I googled and translated words, only to get something different in the end compared to what I intended to say. It is the small things that makes the difference, and I think it is easier and better to translate it back to English, than the other way round
– No additions languages for the time being So many people want to support the development of the game, and adding a language is a great way to open it up for a broader audience. However, while the game is still in development, this makes things also more complicated. The text is changing and it can be very difficult to keep track of it all. And for those, who did put a lot of effort and engagement into these translations, it must be very disappointing and frustrating if such translations get lost or don’t make it into the game for whatever reason. Because of this, I intend to add further languages only once the game is finished. This gives me more time for the actual development of the game. The only translation so far will be English, and I really hope you help me polish this.
– Patreons and supporters only This is a tricky one and I am open for discussion and feedback. In the early development stage however, I want to limit it to everyone supporting me. This being Patreons, and any member at Discord. Also, since this game will be much more story-driven, I intend to release a R16, and an adult version at some point.
That all said, let’s talk about the new game!
Name of the game being “(B)engel”, which is/are German Word(s):
Bengel
Translation: urchin, tyke/tike, rascal, brat, loon, cub, blighter
Engel
Translation: angel
So you play this (B)Engel. An angel, sent from heaven to become the guardian angel of Tim, an (18 year old) teenager. You are supposed to guide him, without him knowing you are even there. Unfortunately, the moment you make contact with him, he immediately becomes aware of your presence. Even worse though, while you can sense his feelings and thoughts, you cannot “direct” him in the slightest. He very much has his own mind, leaves you with an almost impossible task. Since he is aware of you however, you can talk and communicate with him. Other mortals luckily are not immune to your blandishments. Morally questionable decisions however offer you the ability to enter mortal’s dreams as an Incubus. Since all demon are fallen angels, this is a dangerous route to pursue. Tim on the other hand is in love with Jeff, the neighbor’s boy. He is in a relationship with a girl however and very attentive to his public image…
Okay, I think this is enough spoiler for the moment.
I am very excited about this new game project, and I hope you are too. Like I said, I intend to continue with Bound to College at some point. For the moment though I hope you find (B)Engel just as appealing.
Als always, I am happy about any feedback and opinions.
Oliver
P.S.: I could need some help translating the game from German to English.
You can find the files for the translation here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1JH40Q76Q3s0Tq0zmGNu8oU6-chTM42IE?usp=sharing
*.rpy files can be edited with any texteditor like Notepad
Thank you!